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Old September 11, 2012, 02:23 AM   #1
HamsterHamster
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Which revolver for the "modern" cowgirl?

This is kind of like one of these "what should I buy my girlfriend thread" except mine sees herself as a bit of a cowgirl.

She actually works in an office but the cowgirl lifestyle is one of her kinks...

So gentlemen, what revolver should I put in her holster?
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Old September 11, 2012, 02:37 AM   #2
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Is she wanting DA or SA gun? I assume SA since you say she wants a cowboy........eeerrrrr...I mean cowgirl gun.

What caliber is she comfortable with?


If she likes .38sp and up, and wants a SA, I would have to say a Ruger New Vaquero in .357 or .45LC would be just right.


If she likes smaller calibers, a Ruger Single Six would also have the look and feel of an old Colt SAA.

Last edited by freebird72; September 11, 2012 at 02:48 AM.
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Old September 11, 2012, 03:00 AM   #3
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Or, these are out there and available: http://www.taylorsfirearms.com/cartr...odel-3003.html

The Stallion Birdshead is about 75% the size of regular 1873's- and probably close to that on the Rugers too. It's chambered in .38 Special, so it isn't going to beat her up, nor is it going to be so big and heavy that she won't want to take it anywhere.
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Old September 11, 2012, 05:18 AM   #4
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What would Anni Oakley get?
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Old September 11, 2012, 07:17 AM   #5
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My cowgirl wife LOVES her Ruger NV "Montado" .45.....
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Old September 11, 2012, 10:23 AM   #6
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Depends on whether she likes the look of a SA or a typical DA...or if she wants a specific caliber ....( and what your budget is )...

but you can't really go wrong with the classics ...something in a 4 3/4" barrel probably - like a good Colt SA ..in .357 mag probably ...( or a Freedom Arms ...small frame 6 shot probably ..in .357 mag is a good choice if your budget allows it ) ....and it has the same 4 clicks as you draw the hammer back as the Colt. USF would be my 3rd choice...

If she likes a nice DA ...Colt Python ...or a S&W model 27 probably. Personally I like the model 27 better ..especially in Nickel in 4".

then treat her to a nice custom holster...maybe something made locally with some character to it...and a good belt of course.
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Old September 11, 2012, 11:18 AM   #7
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Quote:
What would Annie Oakley get?
She used a 5" S&W Model 10.
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Old September 11, 2012, 02:04 PM   #8
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I like the ruger cause you can load all the chambers

So the ruger


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Old September 11, 2012, 03:46 PM   #9
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I am thinking blackhawk in 357
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Old September 11, 2012, 03:56 PM   #10
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Does she want a gun?,,,

Does she want a gun?,,,
Or is this because you like her and like guns.

If she likes and wants a gun,,,
Take her shopping for a gun and cowgirl gunbelt/holster.

I highly recommend a .22 revolver that's fun and inexpensive to shoot,,,
It doesn't even have to be a single action revolver,,,
Any revolver looks good in cowgirl leather.

I have a friend whose only gun is a Cimarron Plinkerton,,,
Her daddy bought this gun for her as a high school graduation present.

She doesn't get to go shooting very often,,,
But when she does she straps on her cowgirl gunbelt,,,
And has a blast popping away at tin cans and plastic water bottles.

If it's the latter reason,,,
Buy what you want to spend your money on.

Aarond

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Old September 11, 2012, 04:23 PM   #11
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Ya''l seem to think that because she's a 'girl' she needs a pop gun. We have plenty of Ladies shooting Cowboy Action with .44s and .45s.
Let her look at some guns and handle a few, gun shows are good for this. She might want a Colt, a real Cowgirl gun.
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Old September 11, 2012, 05:13 PM   #12
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For the 21st century cowgirl:

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Old September 11, 2012, 05:30 PM   #13
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With USFA no longer producing the Rodeo, I'd go Ruger or Colt if you want the four clicks.
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Old September 11, 2012, 06:03 PM   #14
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If you like the 4 clicks you'll have to find an older Ruger without the transfer bar.
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Old September 11, 2012, 07:30 PM   #15
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Introduce her to a bunch of revolvers so she may choose her own.
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Old September 11, 2012, 07:45 PM   #16
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Yup, let her handle a bunch of different pistols/revolvers and let her decide.
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Old September 11, 2012, 09:02 PM   #17
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SA revolver might be a good choice. Automatic safety until you cock the hammer to pull the trigger.
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Old September 12, 2012, 02:09 AM   #18
Jim March
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Ruger just came out with the Single "Six" in a nine-shot 22Magnum. Not a bad little defender. Only problem is, the initial barrel length is 6.5" but custom-chopped to 4" it would make an awesome little carry piece.
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Old September 12, 2012, 11:14 AM   #19
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Personality aside (cowgirls rock!), so much still depends on what she wants to use it for. I'm not gonna be one that says that SD can't be accomplished with a SA gun but honestly, DA's are better. Now if you/she is dead set on a cowboy gun look no farther than Ruger. IMO a .22lr (Single Six) makes about the most sense but as much as I like SA's I don't like loading .22's thru a loading gate I find SA rimfires kinda boring at the range. So stepping up to centerfires the New Vaquero's are nice handling guns but I can definitely say, without a doubt, my country girl minded wife loves one gun and one gun only...... My (yes, it's still mine not hers) .32H&R Single Six.

Size, weight, grips, looks, power, versatility, etc, my wife would kill me if I sold this gun. They are no longer made but hardly a gun show goes by that I don't see one for sale and they are still out there to be had.

Now back to DA's.............. Nothing wrong with a nice older S&W .38sp. Maybe something nickel or chrome with some nice stag or rosewood grips.
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Old September 12, 2012, 02:43 PM   #20
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I have a Cimmaron .4-3/4" SA revolver in .45 Colt. Everyone who I have let shoot it loves it. It just feels right.
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Old September 12, 2012, 03:13 PM   #21
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A friend that works at a LGS showed me a Cimarron Lightning in 38 Special. Nice looking SA revolver with birds head grip frame. My first thought was "that would make a great girl gun for Cowboy action shooting". Actually I even thought about buying it for myself because it looked so cool!
http://www.cimarron-firearms.com/Spe.../Lightning.htm
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Old September 12, 2012, 05:54 PM   #22
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L_Killkenny said:
"Now if you/she is dead set on a cowboy gun look no farther than Ruger. IMO a .22lr (Single Six) makes about the most sense but as much as I like SA's I don't like loading .22's thru a loading gate I find SA rimfires kinda boring at the range. So stepping up to centerfires the New Vaquero's are nice handling guns but I can definitely say, without a doubt, my country girl minded wife loves one gun and one gun only...... My (yes, it's still mine not hers) .32H&R Single Six.Size, weight, grips, looks, power, versatility, etc, my wife would kill me if I sold this gun. They are no longer made but hardly a gun show goes by that I don't see one for sale and they are still out there to be had."

LK has it right - there is nothing more fun (firearms wise ) than a Ruger SS .32 H&R Mag. Just the right amount of everything. The larger-than-.22 bore lightens it up significantly, but still in the same good ol' .22 sized package...and when you shoot even mild factory loads enough pop (and utility for small game and even for SD) you know you're definitely not shooting a .22--anything. They were made in four gripframes. The first "era" adjustable sight guns (80s-90s) and some later fixed sight "Vaquerito" guns (my choice here for her or the same size/configuration birdshead) had the XR3 Red plowhandle shared with other Single Sixes, large. Frame Blackhawks and original Vaqueros. Many of the fixed sight guns then started to be made with a "short" XR3 Red powhandle grip, presumably for the growing lady and youth market at the time. Then the Birdshead like LK's - which would probably be great for her. Early on (adjustable sight era) there was a Bisley model (long handle/different shape) not needed and probably not desirable for this purpose (rare-ish and pricey anyway)

Yes, .32 H&R ammo can be hard to come by locally and never at Wallyworld, the only detraction for this purpose (that and gun availability). The gun is so fun, so right in size, pop, recoil, everything, that to me those features trump the ammo situatuon, unless you/she are a rangemeister. Buy a a couple hundred rounds or case-worth from Georgia Arms and don't worry about it.

That said, if she wants a larger size/caliber gun--which along with .22s does open up the ammo availability picture--it's up to the New Vaquero...I'll +1 that of the larger choices. IF getting the .357, keep the barrel short. My gf thinks my .357 Montado (Ruger's shortest) is a monster. It is heftier than you'd think. Yes, heft can be good to tame muzzle flip/recoil, within reason. but in a smaller bore like .357--for a general purpose SA they can get barrel heavy in a hurry, in addition to the weight of all that metal left with the six small cylinder bores. This is where the .45 Montado suggestion someone had is a good one (as well as a currrent special distribution .45 birdshead), and the .44 Sheriff which is essentially a Montado with standard New Vaquero (long spur) hammer. With the larger (.4_) calibers, you can "get away with" longer barrels...but I'd keep them down to the 4-5/8" or 5-1/2" at most for a general puprose sidearm.

Warning: Ruger--and hence most vendors and distributors--in its ads and literature is oddly calling all of the midframe New Vaquero line just "Vaquero" (which should instead signify the original large frame, no longer made except occasional special disteibutor runs). Always ask if that gun advertised as a Vaquero is the large frame "original" Vaquero OR the smaller/midframe New Vaquero.
The local store or you can usually tell by what's said on the frame. The one anomaly is, again oddly, Ruger is stamping their .44 Special New Vaqueros just "Vaquero." So far, among the midframe guns this exception is unique to the .44 Special.

The Colts and clones are great guns (have had them all) as well as the smaller Stallion type, but you've got to remember to only load five, with the empty chamber under the resting hammer. If she's not prone to really get into her "cowgirl" thing with verve, ie far enough or often enough to learn to/want to be diligent about that aspect, skip those and go straight to Ruger (or the Beretta Stampede, made by Uberti) which also has a transfer bar permitting loading a full "six up" safely.

Last edited by gak; September 12, 2012 at 06:31 PM.
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